Tarphrex laughs triumphantly at the foolish mortal that has approached him so callously before trying to stab the man with his shortspear.
Trying his best to ignore the cultist suddenly in their middle, Sherman concentrates on the one in stairs, before he clears his head from the "curse". Now, it's time for a real curse..
"You think that's bad?" The priest asks, with a smile that is almost sad. He points one blackened hand toward the cultist, sharing the curse that caused all that with the poor man.
@"Zenaida": Your swing clears out the enemy in front of you, cutting down Red Dash.
@Loth: You turn your swings onto the enemy who's snuck into your midsts, cutting into that one as well.
@Quinn:
The cultist on the stairs goes down, its body sliding back down the stairwell. The one in the middle, however, manages to dodge the splash damage entirely.
@Tarphrex: Let's find out if you hit....
@Sherman: Do you threaten for flanking? Do you have a weapon out at this moment?
@Sherman 2: Your initial target has been vanquished. Would you like to target a different cultist? Or change your action?
So there are 3, count 'em 3, cultists in the pit. That spell doing its work.
One outside the pit and still fighting.
One in the middle of the group, which seemed like a good idea at the time.
One cultist in the back of the room, tangled up and frustrated.
One cultist unaccounted for this whole time.
An invisible cult leader.
A lightning elemental above the alchemist and sorcerer.
So, without flanking from Sherman, Tarphrex's spear attack misses.
Just need Alain to take his action and we'll be off to the races once again.
Alain will attack at the cultist Red Dot/Dash...
...Alain hits him real good. Ouch. That hurts.
Red Dot&Dash takes a quick step to their left and tries to hit Alain with some sneak attack...
...misses, then as a move action activates their copy cat ability (50% miss chance).
Red Dots moves into a corner of the room where you cannot see them, hiding it from sight.
Then, Red D&D needs to save vs. the pit...
...and misses the save by a single point, sending them careening into the void...
...where they fall, unmoving.
PART 1 OF 3
The three remaining cultists that are also in the pit stand (move action) and stow their weapons (also move action).
The one still on the solid floor tries to kill the Kobold in hopes of getting its allies out of said pit...
...but fails to make contact.
It then activates its copy cat ability (50% miss chance).
Anyone who passes a DC 20 Perception check, with a -10 for the situation, can hear the following....
PART 2 OF 3
There is the sound of spell casting from further into the room, but with no visilbe affect. It seems someone is using their invisibility for all its worth while they can....
_______
LIGHTNING ELEMENTAL ROUND 2
Having recieved no other commands and with no one attacking it, the elemental continues its assault on Tarphrex...
...but Quinn manages to shove it just far enough for Tarphrex to dodge the blow.
PART 3 OF 3
The group is up once again. The numbers of enemies are dwindling, but the mooks are the only ones being dealt with so far. What will you do?
Alain will keep attacking
Zenaida says, "Tarphrex, come out of the corner. Trade me places!"
And she readies an action to step into the corner square.
Tarphrex complies, making himself extra small to cringe against the wall and let the armored woman past.
In Common, he calls out, "The dragon knows tasty people hide in pit. He waits to destroy the first one out..."
Seeing Red Dots move from sight, and that the situation here is likely under control, Loth gives chase.
@Tarphrex: With Zenaida using a standard action to do this, I will say it is A-Ok to have the Tarphrex and Zenaida switch spots.
@Sherman: A fantastic question, and one that will come into play since there are AoO in play....
.... The cultist does save, and I apologize for missing that the first time around.
@Tarphrex: I do believe it would be an Intimidate check, presuming you do intend to cause them harm. Which, why wouldn't you? They're trying to kill you.
@Loth: You can roll Acrobatics to avoid an AoO from the cultist behind you, it is a -5 penalty to move at full speed while tumbling.
@Sherman 2: You can only cast flaming sphere into a square you can see. So to cast it at the bottom of the pit would mean standing on the edge of the pit and risking falling in yourself.
You can, however, cast it near the edge (or above the hole) and move the sphere down. It stops as soon as it enters a creature's square, so you don't need to see the creature to target it. And in future rounds, just kinda swish it around down there like stirring lemonade.
@Tarphrex: I do believe it would be an Intimidate check, presuming you do intend to cause them harm. Which, why wouldn't you? They're trying to kill you.
@Loth: You can roll Acrobatics to avoid an AoO from the cultist behind you, it is a -5 penalty to move at full speed while tumbling.
You can, however, cast it near the edge (or above the hole) and move the sphere down. It stops as soon as it enters a creature's square, so you don't need to see the creature to target it. And in future rounds, just kinda swish it around down there like stirring lemonade.
Sherman steps away from the blades of the purple cultist, and begins spellcasting. He thinks it's time for some fire magic, and conjures a globe of flames in existence. Then, slowly the sphere starts starts to towards, and finally down to, the pit where some of the cultists are trapped.
Nearly loosing his grip, Quinn clings tightly as Tarphrex dashes further into the room. Glacing behind the great dragon, Quinn takes aim with his bow and fires it back from whence they came.
As the arrow soars over the pit, Quinn whispers to the kobold "That pit of yours will stick around for a while longer, right...?" Sudden thoughts of enemies popping out of the ground filling his tiny head.
for (x3) 110ft
@Sherman:
You hear a scream of pain and smell the burning of fabric and flesh.
@Quinn:
Your arrow finds its mark, but it turns out to be the wrong mark, destroying the image in its place.
@Loth: If it weren't for the -5, you'd have made it.
But only to the tune of 3 damage. So not that horrible.
@Tarphrex: The elemental is going to strike at you for the same reason...
and
...Tarphrex takes 6 damage.
____
And I think that is everyone...
Let's begin with the one next to Loth. It raises up the war razor, but not to strike. Instead, rolling energy burts forth, sapping your strength and life away....
Luckily, the DC is so low that you ALL pass for half damage, only taking 2 each.
Then it activates its copycat ability, creating a duplicate of itself.
The one in the hole, Green Dots, tries to climb out...
...and then tries again...
... and fails both times.
Purple dash will also try to climb out of the hole, or at least off the ground and away from the fire...
it scrambles up 5 feet, only to fall back down again.
Solid Purple is up there, holding the line, being the best dang cultist it can be. A real tenacious goon. And it is going to try and kill Sherman...
...And if it were a little higher up, it would have gotten the higher ground bonus and would have hit. As it is, it simply misses, cutting a small hole into Sherman's robes.
It then activates its copy cat ability.
__________
Ironbriar prepares an action....
__________
Elemental:
Its previous target gone, but now with an armored target before it, it slams down at Zenaida...
...but won't be able to do much with a 3 on the die. It's like it can sense what's about to happen and isn't pleased.
__________
Speaking of which, a prepared action on the trigger of "the summoned creature tries another attack" goes.
Ironbriar appears in the far corner of the room, above where the stairs dip down, holding an unholy symbol before him, as waves of dark energy flood the room....
...and you all make the save, but still take 9 damage as he gets a perfect 666 on his negative energy.
And then he activates his own copycat ability....
The party is up, and the boss has entered the fray. What's the next step?
Right as he tries to grit his teeth through the pain of the last few attacks, he feels his injuries heal. He turns to glance at Sherman, seeing him take the pain for himself. He almost pauses to think, but now's not the time.
Having closed the gap and resisted the channel, Loth moves to attack!
Alain will side step and attack the Cultist next to Sherman, begining to make his way toward Ironbriar
Zenaida slides around Alain, ignoring the elemental, to threaten the cultist threatening Sherman. If she can drop him, Alain can focus on the Justice.
@Alain: Looks like you figured out the correct map with Tarphrex's aid (thank you Tarphrex).
But, just for everyone's clarity, Justice Ironbriar has put himself in the corner of the room above the downward stairs. So, sans some climbing or amazing jumping, he can only be reached (in melee) by going around the railing. There is only space for a single creature to approach him at this time.
@Loth: Because the cultist you are facing is entangled still, your dagger hits and does damage, driving the point into its side. It is still alive, but you hit it.
@Alain 2:
The sword crashes through the image.
@Zenaida: The elemental attacks as Zenaida moves...
... but misses the slam.
And then Zenaida cuts down the cultist.
__________
Alain burst the cultist's image, clearing the way for Zenaida to burst the cultist.
Loth stabs into the cultist he is facing, drawing a gout of blood.
The casters have yet to act, but they now have a clear path with the only cutltist not in a pit tied up by Loth. What do you do?
Sherman winces and looks much paler as his life force flows into his allies. Most of the enemies now taken out, the Reverend think his friends can now manage - and cuts off the life link.
Now that Ironbriar is visible again, it's time to focus on him. Sherman steps back up the last few stairs, and conjures fore fire magic, this time a scorching ray to strike the enemy.
At the same time, the priest keep half a mind on his flaming sphere, and keeps rolling it around the pit.
With a shriek of pain, Quinn turns to the closest enemy, "Why I oughta..."
Taking a deep breath, he centers himself, holding tightly to the scales. 'Master Loth has that one under control. Don't lose your temper...'
Sighting in the elemental, he sighs and looses an arrow.
for (x3) 110ft
@Tarphrex: The walls next to Loth and Cultist are there. So those two are seperate from most of the room. Those same walls are giving Ironbriar some cover from you and Quinn.
And, of course, the cultists in the pit are generally out of sight.
@Sherman: Your ray hits the wall behind Ironbriar, splashing flames and sending sparks raining down past him as they fizzle out.
@Sherman 2:
Some shouts from the hole, but not of pain this time.
@Quinn: Your arrow takes the elemental, which flips off Ironbriar as it "dies".
Tarphrex steps over to get a better angle on the baddest of the bad men. "Mighty archer, friend Quinn!"
The tiny dragon manipulates the air, conjuring up a set glowing green spheres that he sends winging unerringly toward Ironbriar.
@Tarphrex: The missles steak forward, (I picture them like the dragon rockets from the animated Mulan movie, but magic) weaving through the railing and striking Ironbriar full on.
My turn....
Green dots continues to try and climb out....
... makes it up 5 feet, then falls back down.
Red Dots will trade blows with Loth...
... and then activate its copycat ability.
Though they wear masks, and do not speak, there is an air of desperation about these cultists. They had you well outnumbered, but you have won through so far.
And I'm going to toss Purple dash in here as well as they also try to climb...
... and fail to find any sort of purchase.
PART 1 OF 3
Knowing his chances are still best served with his current strategy, he will channel for a 2nd time....
.... and another set of great saves reduces all of your damage to 4.
And then Ironbriar reactivates his copycat ability.
PART 2 OF 3
PART 3 OF 3
"More enemies coming up! At least five of them!" Sherman warns the others. Before stepping away from the stairs, he projects the madness of his visions into Ironbriar.
All the while he keeps his mind concentrated on the flaiming sphere in the pit, bouncing it around,
While Ironbriar is unshaken by the spell, you do get to hear another scream of pain from the pit.
Another cultist is downed with a great damage roll.
"Another FIVE? Look at these guys crawling out of the woodwork!"
Heh.
Loth focuses down his opponent, hopefully taking him down for good.
Eyes going wide, Quinn frowns. 'Did he say 5 more?! What have I got myself into?!
Gripping the scales tightly, he shakes his head. "I can't do this. I'm just a student of history..." mumbles the tiny man. Shakily, he pulls out the vial with the skull. Eyeing it with concern, he whispers "OK. You're up...don't let me down"
Upending the black liquid, he chokes it down. Nearly immediately, his eyes narrow, his skin thickens, amd his muscles seem to vibrate within. A deeper voice calls out "It's about time you let me take over."
With a cruel smile and a new sense of confidence, he again surveys the battlefield. "Been a long time since I've been allowed to enjoy myself."
The mighty dragon sensing something changing in his parrot glances towards Quinn. The expected attack lacking, he shrugs. "Archer, you shoot bad man." he offers helpfully. "You see it ok?"
See two Ironbriars, the might dragon sends another wave of dragon balls flying through the air.
Seeing the what seems like death swimming in Sherman's eyes, the warpriest reaches out to channel the divine.
Eyeing the landing at the top of the stairs, her sword in hand, she prepares to continue the fight.